Backing Up

When I was learning how to drive, cars didn't have headrests, or seat belts for that matter. When I needed to back up a car, I would turn in my seat and put my right arm along the top of the back of the front bench seat. Cars didn't have bucket seats then, either. I would steer with my left hand. I would continue to operate the pedals the same as when I was facing forward. Between twisting my body and my neck I was able to look straight out the back window and so see where I was going as I was backing up.

I don't know if they even make cars with bench seats in the front anymore. I suppose there might be an economy model of a full size pickup truck that has a bench seat. But even if it has a bench seat, it will have headrests.

So backing up has become, if not more difficult, as least more awkward. If you remain facing forward, all you can see in back of you is what you see in the mirrors, and that doesn't really give you a good picture of what's back there. If I am in a touchy situation, I will squirm around until my upper body is facing the right side of the car and I can turn my head far enough that I can see where I am going. This means leaning forward enough to be able to get my shoulder into the seat. In the pre-headrest days, your shoulder would go over the top of the back of the seat, so it wasn't such a big deal to turn your body far enough to see out the back.

I suppose you could improve rearward visibility with wide angle mirrors or a video camera. A video camera mounted on the back of the vehicle that could show you how far away you are from the post might be a nice option. But I would like to see a drivers seat that has a cutaway for your right arm and shoulder so you easily make a half turn in your seat. This would mean the headrest would need to be supported only on the left side, or perhaps from the roof. But it would make backing up much easier. If it's supported from the roof, it can't block your vision. Perhaps all we need is a hole in the seat to put your shoulder in when you twist to the right.